IN THE SPIRIT OF WALSER

“We don’t need to see anything out of the ordinary. We already see so much.”

Thomas Schütte, February 3 – March 6, 2012

Reception for the Artist, Sunday, February 26, 2012, 12:00-2:30 PM

Symposium on Robert Walser at the Goethe-Institut Chicago,

Sunday, February 26, 2012, 3 PM

The Donald Young Gallery is pleased to present a series of exhibitions bringing together the work of contemporary artists and the writings of the Swiss author, Robert Walser (1878-1956). Each month a contemporary artist will present work inspired by Walser’s writings to be exhibited together with archival material including first edition books by Walser, facsimiles of his microscripts and photographs of the author. Participating artists include Peter Fischli and David Weiss (December), Moyra Davey (January), Thomas Schütte (February), Rosemarie Trockel (March), Tacita Dean and Mark Wallinger (April) and Rodney Graham and Josiah McElheny (Summer 2012).

On the occasion of the exhibition the Donald Young Gallery, together with the Goethe-Institut Chicago, and with the support of the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia and the Swiss Consulate Chicago, will host a symposium on Robert Walser at 3 PM on February 26, 2012. The symposium will be held at the Goethe-Institut located at 150 N Michigan Ave #200 Chicago, IL 60601, and will be preceded by a reception for the artist at the Donald Young Gallery from noon until 2:30 PM. Please RSVP to eiserman@chicago.goethe.org and gallery@donaldyoung.com.

For his contribution to the exhibition series at the gallery, Thomas Schütte will present new bronze sculpture and watercolors that demonstrate the artist’s deft handling of material and scale. Created over the course of three weeks, the twenty watercolors are wry depictions of common objects like “Some Old Stuff”, “Kafka on Macbook” and “Fruit at Night”. Like Walser’s writings, the works on paper are modest and playful, a brilliant juxtaposition to the bronze busts dominating the gallery’s space. “Memorial for Unknown Artist” (2011) and a second untitled sculpture of woman act as emotive icons for Walser’s diminutive writing. Internationally recognized as one of the most important artists of his generation, Thomas Schütte’s practice encompasses a spectrum of content and material. His work is primarily concerned with social and political issues, employing diverse techniques to explore human isolation, vulnerability, and despair with a hint of irony.

For the symposium, panelists include Thomas Schütte who will pose the question of why Walser’s exquisite and extensive writings could not sustain his existence. Jörg Kreienbrock, Assistant Professor in the Department of German at Northwestern University, will present Bad Careers: Kafka (not) reading Walser. Michal Pawel Markowski of the University of Illinois at Chicago and Artistic Director of the Joseph Conrad Festival in Krakow will present The Meaning of the Small: Walser-Benjamin-Adorno. Susan Bernofsky, an expert on German literature and culture, and translator of six books by Robert Walser including the recent publication Berlin Stories in 2012, will give a presentation on Secrets, Not Code: On Translating Robert Walser’s Microscripts. Reto Sorg, Director of the Robert Walser-Center in Bern, will speak about the upcoming exhibition he is preparing with photographer and director Robert Frank on the subject of Robert Walser, Ferne Nähe/Distant Closeness.

The gallery will publish a book with contributions from the participating artists and the exhibition is in collaboration with Christine Burgin, New York, The Robert Walser Centre, Bern and Konrad Aeschbacher, Erlach. Attached is the curatorial statement for the exhibition by Donald Young. If you would like more information please contact Emily Letourneau or Robyn Farrell at 312-322-3600.

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Tags: Donald Young Gallery, Goethe-Institut Chicago, Robert Walser, Thomas Schütte